Nixon in China at the Deutsche Oper Berlin / Photo: Thomas Aurin
The three major opera companies in Berlin, the Deutsche Oper, the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, and the Komische Oper, recently released their upcoming 2026/27 seasons. While I will no longer be based in Berlin come fall, I would gladly hop on a plane to see the following productions:
Deutsche Oper Berlin
The Deutsche Oper is marketing their 2026-2027 season with the title “Make Love…” under the new artistic direction of Dr. Aviel Cahn. The season is packed with world premieres and new productions, presenting a wide variety from Bach to Stockhausen. The Deutsche Oper’s production of Stockhausen’s Mittwoch aus Licht looks especially thrilling as it will feature a string quartet in four helicopters playing the score while hovering over Berlin. In January, Bára Gísladóttir’s commissioned work Good Vibes Only will have its world premiere. The work is said to “explore formal structures and human behaviour that emerge from the manifold interplay within the virtually limitless digital realm,” a timely topic in our hyper digital age.
Two thrilling works coming back to the Deutsche Oper stage are Rued Langgaard’s Antikrist and Adam’s Nixon in China. Ersan Mondtag’s 2022 production of Antikrist was a success, featuring Neue Sachlichkeit-inspired design and expressive choreography by Rob Fordeyn. The Deutsche Oper’s divisive production of Nixon in China is sure to attract in a crowd, especially after Adams tweeted his disappointment with the production, writing that it was “painful to even think about.”
Staatsoper Berlin
La vestale at the Opéra National de Paris / © Guergana Damianova / OnP
At the Staatsoper, there are many exciting premieres, plus a slew of Baroque works scheduled during their “Barocktage” festival. Come late September, the Staatsoper’s new production of La Vestale, an 1807 Tragédie lyrique by Gaspare Spontini, premieres, starring Sonya Yoncheva as Julia. A co-production with Opéra national de Paris, La vestale will be directed by American opera director Lydia Steier, whose 2018 Die Zauberflöte at the Salzburg Festival was famously the first to be directed by a woman.
The house will also stage a new production of Verdi’s La forza del destino starring Lise Davidsen singing Leonora, a role she sang in the Met’s 2023–24 season. The Staatsoper’s new production of La Calisto (1651) by Francesco Cavalli will be an exciting addition to November’s “Barocktage.” Stefan Herheim is planning to stage the work with a “baroque sci-fi aesthetic,” and I, for one, am curious to see what comes of his vision. Also, during “Barocktage” Cecilia Bartoli will make an appearance as Orfeo in their revival of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice.
Komische Oper
John Holiday in Akhnaten / Photo: Monika Rittershaus
The Komisher Oper never fails to impress me with their lineup of creative productions, namely those under the direction of Barry Kosky. In September the Komisher Oper will present Aribert Reimann’s opera Lear at Hangar 4 of the abandoned Tempelhof Airport-turned art space. The setting, which was formerly central to the Nazi government before becoming a post-war symbol of freedom, will undoubtably shape Lear’s power struggle, aided by Kosky’s direction.
Kosky is also slated to stage a new production of Porgy and Bess starring Darren Drone and Brittany Renee, bringing the Gershwins’ hits to Berlin audiences. The house also will stage a new production of Polish composer Karol Szymanowski’s Król Roger, featuring up and coming Komische Oper ensemble members Hubert Zapiór and Penny Sofroniadou. Finally, John Holiday stars in Glass’s Akhnaten, reviving the stunningly minimal production from the 2024-2025 season.
What are you willing to cross the Atlantic for next season?
